Nick Larson's pro career has gotten off to a strong start, especially when you consider that the Georgian originally planned to fish as a co-angler on the FLW Tour this year. But at the urging of good friend and Ohio pro Vic Vatalaro, he decided to take his chances from the front of the boat, and he's the early leader in the Tour Rookie of the Year (ROY) race.
"Vic said he didn't know if I'd like (fishing as a co-angler) and he told me I should just go for the whole thing, so I started kicking it around," said the 44-year-old VP of a construction supply firm. "I work full-time, but I talked to my boss and I could fit it into my schedule, so I went ahead and jumped in."
His finishes of 13th at Beaver and 34th at Hartwell have him sitting at No. 16 in the AOY standings. He also notched an 8th at last week in the PAA Tournament Series event on his home water – Lake Lanier.
He began his pro odyssey with a 113th at the FLW Tour Open at Okeechobee in January – a tournament that doesn't count in the AOY race. That was a good learning experience.
"That one was kind of overwhelming, looking around at all the top pros. I set my sights on (catching) 15 pounds a day, and they ended up killing them this time.
"In the other two tournaments, I think the biggest thing in my success has been the second day. Those have been real strong and I attribute that to just going out and fishing and covering a lot of water. The finish at Beaver gave me the confidence that I can compete."
He has no prior experience at any of the venues on the Tour schedule.
"That was a little intimidating when I first looked at it. But with the start I've had, now I'm excited about all of them."
